The kitchen in Dodin's manor, one of the main settings in Tran Anh Hung's film *The Many Flavors of the World* - Photo: ICF Films
The New Yorker magazine wrote this about the film The Taste of Things by Vietnamese-American director Tran Anh Hung.
Most of the film is about, or seems to be about, food and drink, and is set at, or around, and near a manor house in France, writes Anthony Lane in his article "A Philosophy of Pleasure in 'The Taste of Things'" in The New Yorker.
The blurred lines of human experience.
The owner of the house is Dodin (played by Benoît Magimel), a connoisseur of fine dining. He has a loyal chef, Eugénie (played by Juliette Binoche), although from the outset there is an unusual blurring of social boundaries.
The kitchen was Eugénie's domain, yet Dodin was often seen there, helping to prepare meals, and at times he took on the entire task, preparing a one-of-a-kind dinner just for her.
When the cook sat down, radiant in her butter-yellow dress with a high lace collar, and enjoyed her meal, one had to ask, who was serving whom? Occasionally, Dodin would approach Eugénie's bedroom door, asking permission to enter.
Juliette Binoche and Benoît Magimel in Tran Anh Hung's *The Many Flavors of the World* - Photo: IFC Films
There was no master-servant dynamic, but rather it was as if the two of them had agreed on a discreet romantic relationship, and the question was why they never married, or whether they were married at all.
Tran Anh Hung's tranquil kitchen
The first half hour of the film revolves around Eugénie preparing dinner for Dodin and his friends.
Despite being invited to join the celebration, Eugénie declined, saying, "I always communicate with you through the dishes I cook."
The kitchen in Dodin's manor, one of the main settings in Tran Anh Hung's film *The Many Flavors of the World* - Photo: ICF Films
Normally, if there are too many chefs in a TV show, whether real or fictional, you'd immediately think of a dramatic scene filled with shouting, smoke, and fire… but Tran Anh Hung's film offers a surprising calmness and clarity, writes Anthony Lane.
The movements in that kitchen were purposeful and swift, but not hasty, as if they had been practiced to perfection for a long time.
Tran Anh Hung's interest in food, and how it can unite and divide those who enjoy it, was clearly demonstrated in his debut work, *The Scent of Green Papaya*, released in 1993.
Although filmed in France, this movie is set in Vietnam.
The frequent subject-tracking shots in The Scent of Green Papaya give the film a sense of tranquility, but there are also close-ups capturing the glistening moments of green vegetables coated in oil and stir-fried in a hot pan.
Director Tran Anh Hung and actor Benoît Magimel on the set - Photo: IFC Films
In *The Many Flavors of the World* , Tran Anh Hung aims for a higher level of complexity, with the camera moving around Eugénie's kitchen as if under her confident command, and even climbing over the edge of the pot to inspect – essentially to inhale the aroma of the delicacies inside.
In *The Scent of Green Papaya *, the story revolves around Mui, a young girl from the countryside who comes to the city to work as a maid.
In *The Many Flavors of the World *, the story follows Pauline (Bonnie Chagneau-Ravoire), a young girl learning to cook. And she's a culinary genius.
"Mushrooms, dill, tomatoes, oranges, wine," Pauline rattled off the ingredients in the bourguignonne sauce she had tasted.
Pauline (played by Bonnie Chagneau-Ravoire) and Dodin (played by Benoît Magimel) in Tran Anh Hung's *The Many Flavors of the World* - Photo: Curiosa Films
However, "Many Flavors of the World" is not a food-themed film.
“So what kind of film is this? I would say it’s a conservative film with a dedicated portrayal of the combination of masterful craftsmanship and sheer hard work to deliver joy,” Anthony Lane wrote.
" The myriad aspects of human experience are interwoven—in ways I did not anticipate and will not reveal—with the darkness of illness and sorrow," the author also revealed.
Trailer for the film "Many Flavors of the World" by Tran Anh Hung.
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